Packing Fragile Items During a Move

When it comes to packing fragile items, you certainly want to take extra precaution. It takes more than just a little extra bubble wrap. Here are a few tips to help you with packing those fragile items before you move.

• Have a Plan

When you're packing up crystal, breakable items, porcelain and other fragile items, you need to have a plan. Preparation will allow you to have the right supplies to help you pack the item.

• Pack Plates Properly

When you pack your plates, you should pack them in small to medium sized boxes. Pack them vertically and use crumpled packing paper on the top and bottom. Wrap all the plates in bubble wrap and tape them before packing them. Make sure you don't over pack a box with plates.

• Glasses Should be Packed Carefully

Wrapping glasses in packing paper individually will go a long way to protecting them. You want to line a small to medium box with crumpled paper and use the crumpled paper to fill in any space in the box. Layer the paper around the glasses and keep the heaviest items on the bottom of the box.

• Pictures and Frames Should be Packed Standing

When you pack pictures and frames, you want to use a small to medium box. Just like plates, you want to pack them vertically with crumpled paper in between each frame or picture. Frames should be wrapped with packing paper to ensure they stay safe. If your picture is more than three feet in size, a moving blanket and plastic wrap can be used to protect it.

• Packing Other Fragile Items

Using plenty of wrapping paper, bubble wrap and tape is always a good thing. When packing fragile items you don't want to take any chances. You want to use the right type of supplies and methods for each item. If you're not sure how to pack the item, talk to your moving company. They can pack it for you or at least give you a few tips.

• Mark All Fragile Items

If you pack an item and it's fragile, mark the box as fragile. Use large letters and a bold color. Don't be afraid to mark the box in more than one place and use fragile stickers on the box.

Fragile items need to be protected. If you want to make sure all your most fragile objects are packed correctly, hire a moving company to pack your fragile items.

How to Safely Pack All Your Electronics

Moving some of the more delicate items in your home can be worrisome for a family, but one area you may not have looked into is the moving of your electronics. Unless you’ve shipped electronics to someone in the past or had electronics shipped to you, you may not have thought about how fragile these items can be and how much protection they should have.

The last thing you need for your upcoming move are broken laptops or printers, or missing cords and pieces when you go to reassemble something at your new home. Take a look at the ways that you can safely pack your electronics so that you can have a worry-free move to Chicago.

How did you receive it originally?

Something to consider first is how you received the electronic originally. If you happened to have saved the original packing materials, you can just repack it into its original box for the best protection. If not, you can use your product manual to get advice on the best way to pack and store the electronics. The product manuals can often be found online. If you don’t have the original box, simply make sure you have all of the essentials. This includes sturdy cartons, paper wrapping such as a newspaper, packing tape, and labels with markers to mark all of your boxes.

Organize cords

You can also stay organized by taking some precautions before taping up the box. While you are packing, use color labels for your cords to make sure you know what goes to what. Your computer or stereo may have several cords involved and it may get confusing trying to remember which goes to which device. Use color coding to know that all orange cords go to one device while all green tags go to another.

Don’t be shy about extra protective materials

It’s more than alright to go overboard on your protective materials. Don’t be shy about getting extra protection such as by adding blankets or moving pads to your electronics for the move. You’ll be glad that you were safe rather than sorry.

Think about the temperature

You may not have realized the importance of temperature when it comes to electronics safety. Computers and TVs are more sensitive to temperature and may fare better in a climate-controlled storage facility. Be sure to find out from the manufacturer if the temperature is a consideration before moving electronics.

Keep track of the inventory

You’ll want to keep track of everything using an inventory. Make sure to write down what is in each box, as well as the components in each box so that you don’t forget. You’ll also be able to see if something is missing at the destination.

Wrap and tape

Lastly, be sure to wrap your electronics with clean paper or linen to prevent dust. You’ll also find it easier to prevent dust from getting to your devices when you use proper packing tape for sealing the box.

You can safely pack and move your electronics by taking extra precautions ahead of time. Use these tips before moving your valuable devices.